A Wrong Turn
by jpickup
Summary: A simple camping trip turns into a life-threatening experience.
1. Chapter 1

Merlin ran, swerving to avoid trees. He could see Arthur just in front of him. He didn't dare look behind at the men chasing them. But the noise they made was enough to warn him of their impending approach. Breathing deeply and heavily, he put on a burst of speed and caught up with Arthur.

"Arthur! What are we…going to do? They're…gaining on us." He managed to get out.

"How am _I_ supposed to know Merlin? We're in the middle of the woods with a band of robbers chasing us and you expect me to have some kind of plan?" Arthur, much to Merlin's chagrin, seemed to have no trouble talking and running.

"I was hoping…"

"Well, maybe you should try thinking instead. That usually works better than just hoping." An increase in the noise behind them caused both of them to glance over their shoulders. This proved to be a mistake as they both tripped on a root and before they knew it, Arthur and Merlin were face first on the ground, surrounded.


	2. Chapter 2

Merlin and Arthur tried to get to their feet. Immediately, two large and burly men placed their boots on the back of each young man and forced them back into the dirt. This caused frustration on the part of the victims and great amusement to the other men surrounding them.

"What do you want?" Arthur still managed to sound like a royal prat, Merlin thought, even with his face in the dirt.

"Why, your highness, we just thought we'd show you around the forest." Neither Merlin nor Arthur could see who was talking. "Though, I'm afraid, you'll have to do most of the seeing with your ears and feet as your eyes will be covered." With that, the pair were pulled to their feet and had bags shoved over their heads.


	3. Chapter 3

After a long, arduous trek through the woods, with much stumbling and cursing on the part of the prisoners, the ragged group finally came to a halt. Arthur and Merlin were placed against separate trees and tied securely. The bags were then removed from their heads and the men walked over to a fire pit and appeared to start making some kind of meal.

"What do you suppose they want?" Merlin asked Arthur. He tested his bonds. There was absolutely no give. Looking over at his friend, he realized that he was in the same predicament. They had really done it this time.

"I suppose it has something to do with me. You heard them say my name. Maybe they're planning on ransoming me or something." Arthur replied calmly. Inside, he was anything but. This day can't get any worse, he thought. How did they get into this predicament anyways?

* * *

"Merlin!" Arthur yelled. His idiot of a manservant peered into the room.

"Yes?" How could someone say such a simple word and make it sound so…impertinent? Never mind, going down that road would just lead to an even greater headache. Shaking his head, Arthur addressed the one man who was always honest with him.

"Pack my things. We're going camping. I need to get away from the castle for a while and I'll just tell my father I'm checking out the rumors of bandits in the woods." Arthur almost grinned at the expression on Merlin's face. He just barely kept a straight face.

"Bandits? And why would we go camping when there are bandits in the woods?" If I have to go on anymore thrill-seeking adventures with this egotistical prat, I may take a shot at him with my magic, destiny or no destiny.

"Merlin." Arthur said, the picture of complete innocence. "There are no bandits. I just said I would tell my father that there were so that he would let me leave. When we get back, I'll just tell him that the problem is resolved." And just hope that he doesn't find out that I lied to him. Maybe I should take someone with me to back up my story. Someone other than Merlin, who my father doesn't seem to believe.

"So, get to it Merlin. It's not like we've got all day. Those bandits could be out pillaging and...and…banditting around, for all we know." Arthur grimaced, aware that he had made the perfect opening.

"Banditting? You know, Arthur, you really should look in a book now and then instead of just swinging a piece of metal around. Maybe, just maybe, you might be able to expand your vocabulary beyond 'banditting."' Making a quick escape before Arthur could throw the wine glass in his hand, Merlin went to do what he had been ordered to do. Arthur, after having thought again about throwing something as fragile as the glass, prepared himself to tell his father about their trip.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey! Arthur!" Arthur finally realized that someone was trying to get his attention. He shook his head, trying to get rid of the weariness he felt. It took him a second to remember what had happened and that the weariness was due to trying to sleep against the trunk of a tree rather than in his canopy bed.

"Arthur!" He realized that he still hadn't answered Merlin. Shifting, trying to find a comfortable spot, he finally spoke.

"What? You know, Merlin, I was trying to sleep. How am I supposed to do that with you bugging me all the time?" Arthur, not the most amiable person just after waking from a good night's sleep, was in an even worse mood than normal. Merlin, used to the mood swings of the prince, ignored the last bit and answered the first question.

"Well, your royal crankiness, I thought you might want to be awake when…well, when this happens." He nodded to the two men walking across the clearing, headed in their direction. Neither looked like they just wanted to say hello.

"Now boys, are you going to cooperate with us?" Arthur assumed this man to be the leader. He tried to sit up a little straighter but could only get so far with his hands tied around a tree.

"Well I guess that depends on what you want us to do." Arthur replied. Merlin shot a quick look at him then back at their captors.

"Now that is an interesting answer. You see, there should be no "us" in that statement. The only thing I want done will be done by your servant, Arthur Pendragon. You, my young prince, will simply sit here and enjoy our hospitality." He turned towards Merlin. "You, a pathetic excuse for a human being, will go back to Camelot and tell the king what has happened. You will tell him that if he wants to see his only son and heir back alive, and unhurt, he will pay a ransom of 100 pounds of gold." He motioned to the other man to cut Merlin loose. "Tell Uther Pendragon that this gold must be placed atop Raven's Crest, a mile north of Camelot, by tomorrow noon and that no one is to be there an hour later. Only when I have retrieved the gold will his son be released."

By this time, Merlin had been hauled to his feet. As he stood there uncertainly, not quite sure what to do, the bandit added, "And if the king decides that he will leave someone there past the appointed hour, you can assure him that his son will not live to be reunited with him." The bandit smiled. "And his death will certainly not be quick." With a wave of his hand, he walked away.

Merlin looked at Arthur. "Arthur…"

"Just go Merlin. There's no use you staying around here." He then continued in a whisper. "My father will probably pay the ransom. However, under no circumstances do I want you to be there when the trade takes place. No, listen to me, Merlin." He said as Merlin was about to speak. "I know you too well. I'll be fine. Now go."

"Arthur. I can't just leave you here."

"Oh but you can." Said the bandit. He roughly grabbed Merlin and walked away with the manservant tripping as he tried to keep up. When they reached the other side of the clearing, he gave Merlin a shove "You better hurry, little man. Wouldn't want anything to happen to the prince, now would you?" And with that, he turned and left Merlin standing there.

Looking back across to Arthur, he made a promise to himself. I'll get you out of this Arthur. Even if it's the last thing I do.


	5. Chapter 5

Merlin simply assumed that since he had been led to the other side of the clearing, that that was the way towards Camelot. Noting certain landmarks to keep him going in the same general direction, he started walking. It would do no good for him to wear himself out before he reached his destination.

It took a couple of hours before Merlin recognized his surroundings. He was perhaps an hour from Camelot. Stopping for a quick break, Merlin tried to think of something to tell the King.

"What are you going to say Merlin?" He asked himself. "Why, hello, Your Majesty. I've been released by bandits to come tell you that your son is being held for ransom. You need to pay them 100 pounds of gold by tomorrow noon. Hope that doesn't upset you too much." He scoffed. "Yeah, that'll work. Why don't I just say 'Feel free to expel all your anger out on me as I'm the most convenient target'? It would probably go over as well."

Merlin started to walk again. I really hope I can come up with something better than that, he thoughy silently to himself.

* * *

"...and you need to pay them 100 pounds of gold by tomorrow noon." Merlin stopped talking. The King was slowly going from concerned to enraged and Merlin was right in the line of fire.

"Am I hearing you correctly? I thought you said that my son was captured by the very bandits that he was supposed to be looking for. I assume he just rode straight into their camp. Arthur is much more observant than that."

"Well, sire, that's not entirely correct."

"And where am I mistaken?"

You're mistaken about your son going after bandits. He just made them up and they turned out to be real. But there's no way I'm telling you that. Looks like I'm going to have to lie for Arthur. Again.

"Um. Well, you see, we were riding and, um, I was…talking. Yeah, I was talking to Arthur and I guess I distracted him because all of the sudden we were surrounded. Yeah…" Merlin's voice faded away as the look on the king's face was becoming murderous.

"You are the reason my son is in the hands of those bandits? I should have you executed!" Merlin paled. Uther continued. "However, I think I know just what to do with you. You will be the one to deliver the money. Then, you will stay there and report to me everything that happens. Whether they bring Arthur with them. If they discover you, I will just tell them that I didn't know you stayed. This way, I won't lose anything. You'll either bring me information I need or you'll be dead." Uther seemed content with this plan. Merlin, on the other hand, was anything but.

"But sire, Merlin is just a boy. He's no warrior." Gauis stepped forward on behalf of his ward.

"He goes on dangerous trips with Arthur and his knights all the time. This is no different. He will go and that is final." With those words, the king left the throne room to arrange for the ransom to be gathered. Merlin and Gauis went to the physician's rooms to figure out a plan to get Arthur back and keep Merlin safe.


	6. Chapter 6

Merlin looked around nervously. He was atop Raven's Crest holding the lead rein of a horse laden down with gold. A shiver ran through his body. He had a bad feeling about this whole situation. No matter what his advisors said, Uther would not be convinced to send someone else to deliver the gold. So here Merlin stood, all alone.

He started unloading the gold. By the time he was finished, his arms ached and his breath was labored. Shaking out his shoulders, he led the horse out of the clearing and down the hill. At the bottom, he met up with Sir Leon and some other knights who had accompanied him that far. After they took possession of the horse, Merlin just stood there, alone again, and watched their retreating backs. Finally, when he couldn't see them again, he turned and trudged back up the hill to wait for the bandits arrival.

* * *

Arthur felt worn out. Being tied to a tree for a day with only occasional drinks of water had taken its toll on his body. Add a morning trek through the woods and he had definitely seen better days. Now, he sat at the edge of a clearing, hands tied in front of him, waiting. Just waiting. He wasn't sure for what. All he knew for certain was that once they reached the clearing, about half the bandits had taken a few horses and left. He guessed they were going to collect the ransom. He was more worried about what would happen when they returned. Would they let him go? Or just kill him? Had his father sent knights to save him? Did he even pay the ransom?

All of these questions whirled around in his head. He just wished that he could have some answers but whenever he tried to start a conversation, he was ignored by everyone around him. Didn't they believe in talking to their prisoner?

Arthur was nearly fed up with waiting when he heard the sound of branches breaking. He looked around, trying to figure out what direction it was coming from. It seemed to come from the left side of the clearing and after a few moments, he saw a individual step out from among the trees. It was the leader of bandits. He still hadn't figured out his name. Not that it really mattered.

The leader looked at Arthur then walked over to the last horse in the clearing. Arthur recognized it as the horse he had been riding when the bandits had come upon them. They must have found the horse after capturing Arthur and Merlin. The bandit led the horse over to Arthur.

"Get up." He commanded. Arthur obeyed, hindered by his bound hands. Once he was standing, the bandit motioned him over to the horse and helped him mount up. His hands were then tied to the saddle horn and the horse was led out of the clearing. This was the moment that Arthur had been waiting for. Now was the time when he would figure out what his fate would be.

* * *

Merlin shifted against the trunk of the tree he was sitting in. He knew that people tended to focus on what was ground level and very rarely looked up. So, he perched on a tree branch high enough to give him a clear view of the clearing but low enough that he was hidden among the surrounding branches. It seemed to him that at least an hour had gone by. There was still no sign of the bandits. He shifted again, thinking.

The night before, he and Gaius had discussed what he could do to free Arthur. It was a small blessing that Uther had insisted Merlin stay by himself. He really didn't seem to care what happened to the manservant. This way, Merlin could perform magic from his hiding spot without anyone being the wiser. They perused Merlin's spell book for useful spells that might come in handy to free a kidnapped prince and Merlin hoped that he would be successful. He didn't really want to give the King another report of failure.

Suddenly, he heard a noise. Not wanting to overreact as he had done on several previous occasions, he listened carefully until he figured out what it was. Once satisfied that it was indeed the sound of men and horses walking through the forest, he directed his attention to the clearing just in time to see three men walk into it. Just as he assumed, they didn't once look up when checking the clearing. Once they were convinced that nobody was there, they made their way to the bags of gold. Upon seeing the contents, they motioned to someone at the edge of the clearing.

Five more men along with two horses stepped into the clearing and gathered around the pile of gold. They did a quick assessment of the amount of gold and then one of the members of the group left. Merlin recognized him as the leader. However, Merlin did not see any sign of Arthur and began to worry.

This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. Gaius had seemed so sure that the bandits would bring Arthur to the clearing with them. Yet, he was nowhere in sight. Merlin wasn't really prepared to go find Arthur or even to follow the bandits to their camp. He was pathetic at tracking and if he tried to follow the bandits, they would be aware of his presence in no time.

Knowing there was nothing he could do at the moment, Merlin turned his attention back to the men loading gold onto the horses, waiting for them to finish. He wondered where the leader had gone. It seemed odd that he didn't stay and make sure his men followed orders. Merlin's silent question was answered when the leader returned leading a horse with the prince of Camelot on its back.


	7. Chapter 7

As Merlin gazed at Arthur, he saw all of his plans falling apart. He and Gaius had assumed that Arthur would be walking, not riding, and certainly not tied to a horse. The spells they had looked at were distracting ones or spells that would allow Arthur to be free of his captors. None of them took into account an extra ton of flesh. Fear started to creep into existence. He simply had no idea what to do.

Arthur was in no better of a position. He could clearly see the gold, which meant his father had paid the ransom. That answered one of his questions. But what about the others? What would happen to him? He struggled once again with the ropes binding his wrists and, again, there was no give. With a frustrated sigh, he looked up, directly into the eyes of the bandit leader.

"Well, it looks like your father loves you after all. Isn't that sweet? But now, what will we do with you? I could think of some great entertainment." He chuckled, a low, grating sound. "Yes, I think I know just what to do with you." He pulled out a knife. Panic swept through Arthur. He struggled even more. But, the bandit simply cut the ropes binding him to the horse and pulled him off. His hands were still bond before him.

Merlin, from his position in the tree, saw all of this happening, through he couldn't hear what they said. He shifted nervously, hoping for an opening somewhere, anywhere. Looking around for inspiration, which usually worked, yielded nothing. Hearing a yell, he turned back toward Arthur only to see that the prince didn't really need his help but was sprinting straight across the clearing, his bound hands barely a hindrance. There was no way these men were going to kill _him_ without a fight.

Glancing over his shoulder, Arthur felt his apprehension lift a little. Even with little food in the last day, he was in better shape than these half starved bandits. Hopefully, he would be able to disappear in the woods once he got there. With a lighter heart, he turned forward again. If only he could get rid of these blasted ropes.

As he watched the flight of the prince, Merlin couldn't quite figure out why he wasn't relieved that Arthur was escaping by himself. Perhaps he had wanted to save him again? No. That couldn't be it. Suddenly, realization struck him. Arthur was running right towards him! If the bandits had to search for Arthur among the trees, they would most likely find him too!

Unaware of the plight of his servant, Arthur finally made it to the woods and started weaving in between the trees, trying to lose his pursuers. He knew he was making way to much noise to simply disappear but maybe there would be some ditch or rotten log that was inconspicuous enough to hide him. He tripped over a protruding root and when he got back to his feet, he noticed that his hands were free. Must have broke when I landed, he thought.

Merlin held his breath as Arthur ran under his tree, followed soon after by the bandits. Did all of them run by? It was hard to count through the branches that lay between him and the forest floor. He could see Arthur enough to take advantage of his stumble to finally free him from his bonds. At least that one spell had been helpful. Now Arthur would be able to run at his full speed and hopefully shake off his pursuers.

Deciding that all of the bandits had passed by, Merlin climbed down the tree, trying not to make a lot of noise. Thinking he had been successful, he turned and promptly walked into the grip of the bandit leader.

"Well, well. What do we have here? Did Uther send you? Or did you just miss our hospitality so much that you had to come back? No matter, I'm sure the prince will give himself up now that he knows we have you." Grabbing Merlin's upper arm, the bandit dragged him, stumbling, into the clearing.

Arthur heard a shout. He lay in a ditch behind a log. It was deep enough that he was hidden completely and could not be seen unless someone stepped up on the log, which seemed improbable. He wondered who was shouting. Most of the men had fallen silent while trying to find him. He heard it again and tried to understand what was being said.

"..ave ser…give…self…" Was all he could make out. Lifting himself just to the height of the log, he was able to hear the next shout loud and clear. It was a voice he was very familiar with.

"I have your servant, your highness. If you ever want to see him again, give yourself up now. Otherwise, he will suffer the consequences." Arthur knew the only servant in the entire kingdom who could get into such a predicament. Merlin.


	8. Chapter 8

The bandit leader sent Merlin sprawling to the ground. Landing spread eagle, Merlin slowly started pushing himself back up to his knees. Before he made it, someone grabbed his arms and pulled them behind his back, causing him to promptly fall back to the ground. After his arms were secured, tied together at the wrist, he was hauled to his feet and roughly pulled over to a tree. Feeling a sense of déjà vu, Merlin allowed himself to be tied to the tree. Not that he, being so skinny, could have put up much of a fight if he'd wanted to.

While Merlin was submitting to the bandits, Arthur was trying to decide what to do. He could go try and rescue Merlin. More likely than not, he would end up getting caught himself. On the other hand, he could go back to Camelot and get others to help him. While he would have a better chance of success that way, it would be harder to find Merlin if the bandits took him away with them. And there was always the possibility that they would just kill him. Arthur wasn't sure what he would do if Merlin was killed.

Abruptly, Arthur got to his feet. His mind was made up and he felt better for having a plan. With a quick, slightly guilty look on his face, he turned his back to his best friend and started running towards Camelot. His only thought was a hope that he was making the right decision.

Merlin sat on the ground. He sincerely wished that he had learned how to perform magic at a distance. If only he could warn Arthur or keep him from coming to rescue him. Suddenly, a thought came to him. He didn't need to do anything about Arthur. The prince knew the odds that faced him and that he wouldn't have a chance against all of the bandits. Merlin simply needed the bandits to stop worrying about Arthur. He needed them to forget about him.

"_Ofergitola__þ_." He murmured under his breath while looking at the bandit leader. With a flash of his eyes, Merlin repeated this spell for each bandit member, causing each to forget what he was doing. Returning his attention to the leader, he saw him shake his head. It seemed that he knew something was amiss but couldn't quite figure out what it was. Finally, his eyes landed on Merlin and the confusion left his face.

"Alright men, let's take this piece of trash and move out. We've got the gold," he motioned with his hands to bags, "plus a little extra. He doesn't look like much but I'm sure we could fetch a fair price for him. Let's go." With that, he reached down and cut the ropes binding Merlin to the tree. As he was yanked to his feet, Merlin had a random thought. If they kept cutting all of their rope like that, the bandits were going to run out pretty fast.

* * *

"Absolutely not." When his father spoke like that, Arthur knew there was no hope of him changing his mind. "That servant is the only reason why you were captured in the first place. I am not allowing you to go rampaging after those bandits simply to rescue him. The kingdom is better off without him anyways." Arthur could not believe his father sometimes. It was like he only cared about the kingdom as a whole and not about the individual people who made it up. Except for sorcerers. He always cared about them.

"But Father, while I was with the bandits, I found out that the leader used magic. I'm not going just to rescue Merlin. In fact, I blame his just as much as you do." It hurt Arthur to say those words, but he would do anything he had to in order to get Merlin back. If he had to lie to do that, then he would. "I don't like the fact that there are sorcerers roaming the countryside, targeting defenseless towns. I would like your permission to go capture them." As he spoke, Arthur noticed his father's face change distaste for Merlin to anger towards sorcerers.

"But of course you must go after them. How many knights will you need?" Arthur was constantly surprised by the depth of anger his father had towards sorcerers. That he would simply change his mind about the whole thing because there was magic involved amazed him.

"I think myself and five other knights will suffice. I will chose some and leave in the morning. Good night, Father." With those words, Arthur bowed and left the throne room at a swift walk. He had to go visit Gaius to tell him what had happened to his ward. Then, he had to go talk to some knights and send word to a few others that could be of help.

* * *

_Ofergitolaþ-_forget (I think, I'm not sure how reliable the translator was.)


End file.
